Autoblog

Bob Nardelli, Chrysler LLC's new chief-exec and chairman, made it clear today in his first public speech that Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep are safe, but some of the products in the automaker's lineup may face the axe in the near future. Addressing the Automotive Press Association today, Nardelli talked about the future of Chrysler, its brands and the recent high-profile hires of Jim Press and Phil Murtaugh. Restructuring the ailing automaker will involve some tough decisions on the product front, and Nardelli made it clear that, "We have to look very hard at some of the product within those brands." We're hoping that the Jeep Compass is euthanized first. What say you?

Top tip Peter!

[Source: CNN Money]

Fifteen years and three generations on, the three-millionth Nissan Altima has been birthed at the Smyrna Tennessee plant. The Altima is Nissan's current sales champ, with diverse trim-level and power unit options, efficiency nuts and performance enthusiasts can both find something to love in the Altima. When it first debuted, we weren't all sure how exactly to pronounce its name – its predecessor was the easily articulated Stanza – but it was a tidy little compact with good manners and tasteful styling. My, how it's grown! The Altima has bulked up in size to Maxima-esque proportions, with edgy, stylish bodywork where there were once "bar of soap" cues, this ain't no mid-'90s compact anymore. The available 3.5-liter V6 has the motive force to outdo many comers, and the coupe version has even more speed baked into the style. On the flip side, the hybrid Altimas sip fuel more gently than the other powertrain options.

The Altima is produced in two locations, Smyrna being the first US Altima assembly plant in 1992, with Canton, Mississippi joining up in 2004. Smyrna pops out about 750 new Altimas per day, while Canton does nearly as many, at roughly 600. Altimas for export are also produced in Smyrna before they're shipped north to Canada, south to Mexico, or to Gulf Coast countries. So far this year, the export markets have consumed 20,000 of Smyrna's cars. Since its start as a Stanza stand-in, the Altima has gone on to become Nissan's bread and butter sedan – not too shabby.

The full press release is after the jump.

[Source: Nissan via TAC]

What do you get for the automotive conglomerate that already owns almost every Italian marque in the industry? A legendary design house, of course. Fortunately for Fiat, independent coachbuilders like Bertone have been in a lot of financial trouble recently, as evidenced by Pininfarina's recent cuts.

At the Paris show, Bertone displayed the Suagna (pictured), an impressive coupe-cabriolet based on the Fiat Grande Punto platform. Now a rumored joint venture could see the Fiat group establishing a new company with Bertone to produce a car based on the Suagna concept. The reported idea would be for Bertone to supply "industrial assets" (i.e. the facilities) and the staff while Fiat pays for everything else.

[Source: Automotive News via Motor Authority]